


The one with the orange couch

by fantasyfiction



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Anxiety, Fluff, M/M, Male Friendship, Panic Attacks, Pre-Series, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2017-09-17
Packaged: 2018-12-30 22:57:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12119049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fantasyfiction/pseuds/fantasyfiction
Summary: This is set before the series,when Spencer joins the BAU and how Derek and Spencer became friends.





	The one with the orange couch

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer:I don't own the characters or the show.  
> Not beta read, all mistakes are my own.

Dr Spencer Reid was nervous. Anxious even.

Probably everyone felt that way on their first day of work. So he decided to get a coffee and spend some time in the local park. It was almost empty at this time of the day. He sat on one of the benches around the small pond,with his new satchel by his side. He found this very soothing and resorted to this routine every time he felt lonely, sad or nervous. He checked his watch for the twenty seventh time and decided it was finally time to start a new chapter of his life- BAU, FBI. 

He had already estimated which route would be the fastest and reached the FBI headquarter in Quantico in forty three minutes. 

By the time he left office for the day, he was quite relieved. All his team members were very friendly and accomodating. He knew people got easily annoyed while dealing with him, but his teammates weren’t like them. They got really excited when his boss Aaron Hotchner told them he was a genius. Even when they didn’t understand what he was saying, they didn’t make fun of him. One of his colleagues Derek Morgan, did say something which upset him but on seeing the hurt look on his face he quickly apologised for his behaviour and explained it was just friendly banter. Spencer felt a little embarrassed. He had always had a problem with understanding social clues, but Derek Morgan didn’t make him feel bad about it at all. 

 

It was the first weekend after he joined the BAU. His colleagues invited him to go out with them for a few drinks, he wasn’t a fan of alcohol and declined at first, but they insisted. They were probably the most persistent group of people he had ever met. So he agreed. But it seemed like a very bad idea once he set foot inside the club they were visiting. There were too many people, even for a friday night. He still somehow made his way to a table along with his colleagues. He had had a few drinks and was a little tipsy when he realised Derek wasn’t there. He scanned the dance floor to determine the location of said mate and saw him in the middle of the floor swaying gracefully to a song he didn’t recognise, surrounded by gorgeous ladies. 

He returned to tend to his drink and chugged the remaining liquor down faster than usual. What was that? Was he jealous? He would have dismissed it as a natural thing if he was jealous of Derek but he was jealous of the women. It is probably because he is too socially awkward and envies their ability to interact with strangers so easily? He reasoned.Yes. That must be it. But when he felt the feeling returning a second time, he decided to put a stop to it. He decided to get another drink. 

“Anyone needs anything?” He asked his friends, memorised their orders and somehow managed to reach the counter and placed the order. But when he tried to return with drinks, he felt his vision blurring. He had to invest all his energy to focus on breathing. He felt nauseated. So many people around him, touching him- it was too much to handle for him. His hands were shaking a little. He tried to place the tray on the counter but other customers were blocking it. Just when he thought he was about to drop it, he felt someone prying it out of his hands. That person gently took his hand in theirs and rubbed small circles on his skin with their thumb. It wasn’t like other people touching him. It was….. soothing, calming. Spencer never knew physical contact could do that. He always hated it, dreaded it, but this… this was nice. He heard a very familiar voice.  
“Hey, just breathe okay. You can do it kid. Deep breaths c'mon. See follow me. Breathe in, breathe out. ”  
Spencer tried to match his timing with Derek’s and in a few minutes he was breathing normally again, the uneasy feeling slowly ebbing away.  
“ Yes that’s good. You want to go home pretty boy? I haven’t had anything yet, I can drive. ”  
Spencer nodded gently while Derek slipped his hand to the small of his back, putting just enough pressure to reassure him and guide him through the crowd. Spencer didn’t fight the contact. He was actually glad it was there. 

“ Hey what were guys talking about for so long? ”  
“ Oh Hotch, I just saw him there and thought I would order something for myself too. But kid here wanted to go home so I offereg him a ride. We are leaving guys, see you guys on Monday.”

Spencer was really relieved when Derek lied, he didn’t want his boss and other colleagues to know he had a panic attack in a club in the first week. 

He climbed into the car with Derek. Derek asked him he was okay to which he replied with false “I am fine.” They sat in complete silence for a while. That was until Spencer suddenly remembered something.  
“You didn’t ask for my address! ”  
“ Hahaha,took you long enough to realise! ”  
“ No, seriously how do you know where I live? ”  
“ I don’t! We are going to my home. ”  
“ What? What kind of serial killer inspired stunt are you trying to pull off here? ”  
Derek laughed heartily at that.  
“ Don’t worry not planning on killing you! You still look a little uncomfortable. You can stay in my guest room tonight. I’ll feel better if I stay close to you tonight.”  
It was strange visiting someone’s house after only knowing them for a few days. But even though he hadn’t known him for too long, he trusted Derek. So he agreed.

They were greeted by a very excited little puppy, as soon as Derek turned the lights on.  
“You have a dog?”  
“Isn’t he the cutest little thing ever? Here say hi to Clooney!”  
“Hey Clooney! You know dogs generally don’t like me, but I think he does. You know both dogs and monkeys show a preference for people who help others, and this might explain the origins of our sense of morality.

Studies involving babies have previously shown that by the age of one, humans are already starting to judge people by how they interact. This has led to suggestions that children have a kind of innate morality that predates their being taught how to behave.“

 

Spencer said with a little smile. It’s always nice to receive love. 

“Wow so Clooney is a good judge of character then! Here sit down.” Derek said pointing towards the couch, which to his surprise was followed by giggle from Spencer.  
“What’s the matter Reid? What’s so funny?”  
“The couch. It’s orange. It looks like the one in F. R. I. E. N. D. S.,you know? Like the one in the café. ”

“You watch F. R. I. E. N. D. S?! I thought you only watch Dr. Who and all the other geeky shows! This is a pleasant surprise, anything I should know about you Dr. Reid? ” Derek said with a light chuckle.  
“Well I like F. R. I. E. N. D. S. It was a nice show. Really funny. I don’t really have a lot of friends so I guess I kind of compensated for it? I don’t know, but it really helps me feel better when I am having a bad day.”  
Spencer said with a twitching smile, tucking a strand of his sandy brown hair behind his ear. He looked adorable. Derek thought so too.  
“Well you have friends now, you have us.”  
“Really?” 

“Yeah kid, of course! ”

“ Well thanks… ”

“ You don’t need to thank me. So tell me who is your favourite? ”

“ Umm… Chandler.”

“Really? I was thinking you would say Ross.”

“I don’t really like Ross too much. He is kind of… mean.”

"He is, isn't he? That list he made comparing Julie and Rachel made me really mad."

"Yeah,me too." Spencer said trying to supress a yawn. 

"C'mon pretty boy, let's get you to bed." Said Derek, giggling at the adorable sight in front of him.  
But Spencer just stared at him wide eyed.

" You think I am pretty? "  
" I... "  
" You are intoxicated aren't you? That's why you said that. Right? "

" No. No. I mean it. I am not drunk."  
Derek quickly proclaimed, cupping Spencer's jaw and running his thumb on Spencer's cheek bones so lightly that it tickled Spencer's skin. It was very new for him, but vert nice too.  
Spencer smiled at him before another yawn made its way out, forcing his mouth to form a huge 'O' making Derek laugh. 

"C'mon kid, or else you will fall asleep right here."  
* * * * * 

Spencer doesn't go to that park bench anymore. Not because he doesn't get sad, scared, anxious or overwhelmed anymore, but there is a really nice orange couch that has replaced it.


End file.
